


The Curse

by MizDiablo



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Norse Religion & Lore, Angst, Curses, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Jötnar | Jotuns | Frost Giants (Norse Religion & Lore), King Loki (Marvel), Loki (Marvel) Feels, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Loki and Thor Are Not Related, M/M, Magic, Mutual Pining, Negotiations, Not Beta Read, POV Loki (Marvel), Pining, Prince Thor (Marvel), Protective Thor (Marvel), Sick Character, Sickfic, except one chapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:07:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26359939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MizDiablo/pseuds/MizDiablo
Summary: When Loki breaks up his relationship with Amora, she curses him to always see the sad ending of possible relationships when he sees someone for the first time.So Loki resigns himself to a life without love and spends all his energy on taking care of his kingdom.Then Thor shows up to negotiate the peace between Jötunheimr and Asgard.And Loki sees nothing.But Thor is already engaged.
Relationships: Loki/Thor (Marvel)
Comments: 68
Kudos: 218





	1. Amora

”I am sorry, Amora. It was never my intention to hurt you, but I am afraid this must end. I do care for you greatly, but we are not a good match.”

Her green eyes flare with rage and she rises from the bench they are sitting on, wrenching her hand from his.

“Not a good match? Is that all you see? Someone who doesn’t fits you?” She asks, her hair spilling over her shoulders like liquid gold.

“I see someone who I care deeply for, but do not love. You must know. Please, I never wanted to-“

“I will tell you what I know. I know you will live to regret this, Prince Loki of Jötunheimr… ” She raises her voice, her eyes glowing in the faint light. Her hair is whipping about her, but never covering her face. Green sparks spring between the fingers on her raised hands.

“On thine eyes this spell is cast  
Until a declaration of true love it shall last  
Free from it you will not be  
But see all love ill matched for thee!”

The green light hits him like a winter storm. His eyes burn. All around him is green, inside his eyes, in his mind. Everything is burning green.

**

Someone is talking to him, but it’s hard to hear over the pain in his eyes. The green is all he can see, even with his hands covering his eyes. Even with his eyes closed.

As darkness returns around him, the voice becomes clearer. “Loki? What happened? Are you hurt?”

The words and the hand on his shoulder are familiar. The ground is hard underneath him, but he does not remember sitting down.

“Loki?”

Removing his hands slowly, Loki opens his eyes. The green is gone and in front of him is Helblinde’s worried face. For the briefest moment he sees it, what they could have, and how it would not turn to love, but to pain and sadness and hurt. It lasts less than a heartbeat and soon fades from his memory, only leaving the firm knowledge that they would never be happy. Even in the confusion, that at least makes Loki happy as he tells his brother what happened.

“I’m sorry. I cannot undo the spell. The magic is too strong.” Helblinde says quietly.

“I know…” Loki could not undo it himself, proving the strength of the curse, but he never had the same skills with healing magic as Helblinde and he had foolishly hoped that something could be done.

“Maybe father or mother could…” Helblinde tries, but Loki shakes his head. “No… It is not a curse meant to be broken. I already know that they would not succeed.”

Helblinde helps Loki stand and then back into the palace from the garden, where he went with Amora. She is gone now and Loki feels no desire to look for her.

When they find the rest of the family, Loki sees the same. The heartbreak, pain and sadness a relationship would bring. It makes him dizzy and Helblinde has to explain for him. At least he would not have a happy relationship with any of his blood relatives. It probably was not Amora’s intention, but it makes him feel a little at ease.

Fárbauti is ready to send the army after Amora before the story is even over, but Loki just shakes his head tiredly.

“She would not be able to undo the spell if you found her. It cannot be undone.”

“Listen to him.” Laufey says gently to her husband. “Our son knows magic better than we.”

So the army stays where it is and Loki retires to his rooms to rest. The day has worn him out more than he will let his family see.

**

The curse burns in his eyes with every new person he sees. Heartbreak, loneliness, pain, sorrow, anger and bitterness. His friends, the servants, their people. Always he sees the broken hearts left in the wake of what could be.

It shakes him for a long time, leaving him rattled when meeting a lot of people at once, but slowly he gets used to the pain. It’s unpleasant, yes, but not unbearable. At least he only sees all of it once and then he is left with the knowledge that they would never be happy.

He stops courting and focuses on the kingdom. He knows those least fond of him has started to call him ice hearted, but he never lets anyone see how it pains him to know they are right, even if they don’t understand why. His curse is not commonly known. It is better this way. He will be fine.

**

“Maybe it will not last forever. Maybe it will wear off…” Helblinde says quietly. Loki doesn’t answer. They both know that’s not how curses work.

“Well… Maybe, some day, you will see someone who is a good match for you… Someone you will love…” Helblinde tries.

Loki sighs. “No… I don’t think so… I think I would have see someone by now… But it’s okay… It’s not as jarring anymore…”

“I wish I could help you be happy.” Helblinde say gently, looking at his brother. Loki smiles. “Having you for my brother makes me happy. Do not burden yourself with my happiness. I am a prince of Jötunheimr… I never expected to marry for love…”


	2. Peace Treaty

The war had been raging for longer than he had lived. Loki had no memory of a time when they had not been fighting the Æsir. Most of the soldiers who lost their life in the battle had not been born when it started, most had forgotten why they fought in the first place.

It was his father’s war. But Fárbauti had been dead for many years now and it was up to Loki to end the war, even if he knew his father would never have agreed to make peace.

**

They arrive at dawn. The Æsir delegation. Loki knows all of them by name, having read as much as possible about them and their culture in preparation to the meeting. It was a grace that the Æsir agreed to meet in Jötunheimr and Loki doesn’t want to start their meeting off on the wrong foot. He has spent the last week preparing for everything to go right.

The Bifröst opens with a rainbow of light, filling the cold morning with far more color than can normally be seen in Jötunheimr. Loki feels a slight stab of jealousy. The Æsir control the rainbow bridge, leaving all other realms to either make a deal about using it or finding lesser know and harder to use ways of traveling. Maybe that is why the realms are so divided. Because it is so difficult to travel between them.

Well, one of the reasons, Loki thinks, as he watches them arrive, tall and golden and proud, each of them with a weapon in hand.

There are five in the delegation, none of them the king, Odin, but all here to speak for him. Loki’s green eyes move slowly from one to the next. First is Heimdallr, tall and dark, with a sword that seems to dwarf Loki, who is himself small among Jötnar (a gentle refusal with little regret). Besides him stands The Warriors Three, well known for their might in battle; Fandral the Dashing (heated passion ending with infidelity), Hogun the Grim (barely a word spoken, a dark ending) and Volstagg the Mighty (a painful relationship filled with mockery and viciousness, a violent end with much regret). Last is their prince, Thor. Tall, golden and strong. Were Loki told to imagine an Æsir prince, Thor is what he would have described. Looking at him last, Loki sees…

Nothing.

Taken aback, the Jötnar king stops and blinks a few times. Returning his eyes to the guests, he knows the ending for the four, but still nothing when watching the prince. The prince, who is walking determinately towards him.

“King Loki. We have come with goodwill to create a lasting peace between our people.” Thor booms, loud and confident. Standing in front of Loki, the Æsir hold out his large hand. And still, Loki sees nothing.

Shaking himself from the shock, Loki grasps the offered hand. It is surprisingly warm and soft, despite the warrior’s callouses he feels on the skin. It’s a known fact that Jötnar are cooler than most other races and that Æsir often are warmer, but Loki had imagined it to be unpleasant, like sticking your hand into the fire. It’s not. The warmth is gentle and very comfortable.

“Welcome,” Loki says, quickly letting go of the hand. “Your arrival has been anticipated with much joy. Come, come, let me show you to your rooms so you can rest before the feast tonight.”

When Loki smiles politely at the prince, he is a little surprised to see the smile returned. He had expected stout warriors, serious and grave like he remembers Odin, but there is something friendly and open about Thor, a sparkle in his clear blue eyes that make it hard for Loki to look away.

Forcing himself to move, Loki waves at the other Æsir and leads them into the castle. On the way, Loki talks about the castle, mostly to fill the silence of strangers brought together by necessity and not want, but also to help his guests find their way around later. Several of his advisers were upset by the fact that Loki would let the Æsir walk around on their own, but the king wanted to show the Æsir that they were guests, not prisoners.

Only Thor answers back, asking questions about the history of the palace and the statues guarding most doors. The other Æsir walk quietly behind them.

It’s odd, walking down the halls of his forefathers with an Æsir who seems interested in their history. Maybe, a treacherous part of Loki thinks, it’s only to gain an advantage on them in the war, but he pushes that side away. He isn’t telling Thor anything vital. No matter how much he wants peace, he will not get it at the expense of his people.

What is even more odd is that no matter how much Loki looks at Thor (and he does look, even if he tries to hide it), he doesn’t see anything. No short, storming romance, no long, drawn out relationship, no painful courtship, nothing. It’s unnerving after so long of knowing exactly how unfit everyone he met was for him. With Thor, he sees none of that.

They reach the guestrooms, grand and luxurious. All the best that Jötunheimr has to offer. They might be there to negotiate peace, but that won’t keep Loki from trying his best to impress them. Let them see that the Jötnar have resources for lavish rooms despite the war.

Truth be told, no greater battles have been fought during the last few years, leaving both Jötunheimr and Asgard time to rebuild. Only minor skirmishes have happened and both sides have tried to keep them as contained as possible. It’s one of the reasons Loki hopes the time is right for a lasting peace.

Thor slams his hand on Loki’s shoulder as they enter the room. It’s so powerful that Loki for a moment thinks it’s an attack, but then realizes that it is meant as a friendly gesture when Thor speaks. “Indeed, this is a room fit for a prince of Asgard.”

“I hope you like it. And if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call on one of the servants.” Loki says, slipping out from underneath Thor’s hand and towards the door. “I will come get you for the feast tonight. Until then, you are free to rest here.”

Thor smiles at him as Loki closes the door behind him and hurries to his study, locking the door firmly. He leans against it and takes a deep breath.

It’s fine.

It’s nothing.

It must be some kind of flaw in the curse. Maybe it doesn’t work as well on Æsir. Maybe it’s losing strength. Maybe it’s just slower for some reason.

It’s. Fine.

It’s not because Thor would be a good match for him. It’s not because there would be no bad break and heartache with him. It’s not because they would fall in love and be happy.

It’s not.

It’s fine.

He is fine.

**

When Helblinde knocks on his door some time later, Loki is calm enough to work and has to get up from his desk to open the door. Helblinde smiles and bows lightly. “My king. The feast is ready to begin.”

“Thank you brother.” Loki closes the door behind him and walks with Helblinde towards the guestrooms. Since he became king even his brothers have taken to call Loki ‘my king’ like they did his father. It was odd at first, having even his closest family refer to him by his status, but with time he got used to that, like he got used to the curse. Helblinde will only use his name when he gets truly worried about Loki.

Even before they reach the door, they hear brash laughter from the rooms where Loki left the Æsir. He can’t hear what they say, only that they are having fun. A little sad to spoil it, Loki knocks on the door.

It takes a few moments and a little more laughter before Thor opens the door. His smile is wide but fades a little when he sees them; Loki tries not to let himself react to that.

“We have prepared a feast in your honor. Will you allow me to show you to the hall?” Loki asks. Another thing his advisers advised him against. Asking permission, showing up himself when he could send a servant, putting himself, as they said, ‘in an subservient position’ to their guests. Loki decided to do it anyway. He wants to be available for is guests; to get to know the Æsir and let them know that he is working hard to make the alliance work. If it really does fail, he will know more about their enemy.

“Aye.” Thor says and the wide smile returns. “We have been waiting to learn how Frost Giants feast.”

Frost Giant. Loki suppresses a wince. While it is not a polite way to talk about Jötnar, it is what most of the other races use. Hopefully more alliances and understanding between the races will stop that.

Not wanting to start off with a reprimand, Loki ignores the comment and waves the Æsir forward. Thor slaps his shoulder again as he passes and the others follow. Heimdallr even nods kindly at him when he passes.

Loki leads them to the great hall, where a grand feast has been prepared. Great fires line the walls, long fur covered benches line the tables in the middle of the room and the air smells of more than a hundred different dishes of food. It’s a little extravagant but, like the rooms, it is an opportunity to show off and show that Jötunheimr is strong, despite the war.

The sight does seem to impress the Æsir or maybe it’s the smell of food. They mumble eagerly behind Loki, who tries to hide his smile as he leads them to the high table, where seats of honor next to his throne await them.

As they walk through the hall, the gathered Jötnar turn to look at them. Most, at least, try to put on a friendly face, but some do look at the Æsir with mistrust and even open hostility. Loki would have preferred not to invite the most antagonistic of them, but a lot of them are from the higher classes and it would have been a greave insult not to invite them to a feast for foreign dignitaries. Hopefully they will behave at least for one night.

Thor, as a Prince of Asgard, gets the seat of honor next to Loki and the rest of the Æsir are placed next to him. It gives them a good view of the hall and the opportunity for others to approach them in a respectful manner. Loki’s brothers, Helblinde and Býleistr, are on his other side.

When everybody is seated, Loki stands up.

“My people. We are here today to celebrate a new beginning. A beginning of peace and cooperation between Asgard and Jötunheimr. In the days to come, we will work out a peace treaty between our two nations. It is my hope that what we achieve here will bring stability and prosperity to us all and to our children when we are gone. So, my friends, my people, honored guests. Let us raise a glass and toast to a future of peace.”

Loki raises his glass and all in the hall follows him. As one, they call: “To peace” and Loki see that even among those who had been against the Æsir from the beginning the toast is joined.

When he sits down again, Thor puts a warm hand on his shoulder. “Wise words king Loki. I hope that we will soon live up to your promise. A future where our children know not the bitterness between races will be glorious indeed.”

Loki only just has time to thank the Æsir before the food steals all attention. Loki is prepared for what comes and it pleases him greatly how much it seemingly impresses the Æsir. Servants bring in plates and platters, dishes and drinks, and places them in front of the guests first. While Loki has no idea what the Æsir cuisine is like, he does know what impresses other Jötnar and had hoped it would impress his guests as well.

Casting a side-glance to Thor and his friends, it seems that it does. Especially the great roasts served on large silver trays seem to draw their attention. 

Loki holds back, waiting patiently as the Æsir fills their plates with all the different meats in front of them before eating with great enthusiasm. They do not seem to have any fear the food might be poisoned, as Loki himself would have been eating with so many strangers. They have no need to fear, of course. The food had been prepared by Loki’s personal chefs and the security had been high. No one who might wish the Æsir harm had been allowed anywhere near the kitchens for days.

Showing a little more restraint, Loki fills his own plate and eats quietly for a while. The food is good, as always, but most of his focus is on making sure his guests want for nothing. Loki is still trying to make a good impression and is quick to call the servants over as soon as a glass or plate seems empty. Looking at Thor, Loki cannot help but notice the grease from the meat on his lips, making them shiny and inviting. He quickly averts his eyes.

The Æsir appear to enjoy both food and drink and slowly the noise in the hall starts to rise. Thor’s laughter booms often and Loki starts to wonder if the nickname ‘the Thundere’ came from feast or battle. It’s a pleasant sound, warm and happy. Jötnar are normally not so boisterous when they celebrate, but most seem to enjoy the noise and some have even started a song in a corner of the room. The mood in the hall is joyous and to Loki it is clear that the presence of the more outgoing Æsir and the prospect of peace after so much war is the cause of it.

**

It is late when Loki returns to his rooms. The Æsir are still singing somewhere, but have retired to their own rooms with a casket of mead to continue their own party. Otherwise the castle is quiet.

He isn’t drunk. Compared to the Æsir, Loki barely had anything to drink, but he does feel happy and optimistic. The night had gone as well as he had hoped, the Æsir enjoying themselves and proving to be very entertaining. Thor especially had been pleasant company, listening with interest when Loki spoke and telling emphatically of his homeland when asked. It was clear that Thor held great passion for his home and their history and relished the chance to tell stories.

He does have a nice voice…

No!

Slamming the door shut unnecessarily, Loki shakes his head. Thor is intelligent, interesting and friendly, but he is a foreign diplomat and until recently their enemy. He is also engaged to an Æsir warrior named Sif. Loki studied the relations of the Æsir before they arrived and knows that she is a fierce Valkyrie who often accompanies Thor and The Warriors Three in battle. She is much feared among all races and seems a fitting match for the Æsir prince.

And Loki is not meant for love. He knows that. He has known that since he ended his relationship with Amora.

Better to keep his distance to the Æsir prince.

The small room suddenly seems cold. Compared to the guestrooms it’s miniscule. There is a bed, a table and a dresser for his clothes. He never needed more, because he rarely spends any time in his room. There is always something for him to do, either in the throne room or his study or the city, so he only comes here to sleep.

When he sleeps.

Which won’t be tonight. With a sigh, Loki changes from his robes into soft, worn clothes and leaves his bedroom. He might as well do something useful.

When the sun comes up, Helblinde finds Loki in his study, working quietly on the first drafts of the peace treaty.

**

The first meeting starts out well enough. After a few welcome speeches and formalities, they sit down to actually discuss the peace treaty. Everybody in the room wants a lasting peace, so it should be in everybody’s best interest to listen and make an agreement. But, as it turns out, creating peace between two so different cultures is not an easy task and after several hours of talking they have barely begun to discuss the actual treaty.

The only bright spot is that no one is yelling by the time they end for the day.

**

They start yelling on the third day. It’s not even about anything important. They are disagreeing on what titles to use when mentioning the different Æsir royals and the Jötnar high society. It’s not the same and apparently there are some strong opinions about which ones to use.

“Stop!” Loki says, standing up from his seat. The room falls quiet and turns towards him. He has barely spoken in the last few hours, feeling tired and irritated because of a growing headache. “We are getting nowhere. There is no need for more quarreling between us. We end the meeting now and tomorrow we rest. Then, when we have had time to think, we will resume our discussion and we will actually listen to each other and not just yell!”

The Æsir seem surprised, not having seen Loki use his authority before, but the Jötnar know what their king is capable of when he feels the need to affirm his position. They quickly murmur apologies and step down. The Æsir look to Thor, who nods and smiles at Loki. “Yes. We need a break. Well said Loki.”

The participants slowly start to file out the room and Loki gathers his papers and tries to figure out how to solve yet another problem with the treaty. When he looks up again, the room is empty but for him and Thor.

“I…” Loki starts, only to realize he has no idea what he wanted to say. “Can I help you?”

“You did well in calling an end to the meeting. Tension was too high, it would have gotten nowhere.” Thor says, smiling. He smiles a lot, Loki has noticed. He notices a lot about Thor, even if he tries not to.

“Ah… Yes… I think we all need a break.” Loki says, getting the last of his papers and straightening up. Thor holds the door open for him as they leave.

“Since we have no meeting tomorrow, will you show me more of your beautiful realm?” Thor asks as they walk towards Loki’s study where the papers are stored.

Loki pauses, surprised by the request. He has a lot of work, not related to the peace treaty, that he needs to do, but showing Thor around Jötunheimr sound much better. He probably shouldn’t. He had decided to keep his distance from Thor. But then again, saying no would make him a bad host.

“Well… Yes… Of course, if you desire to see Jötunheimr, I would be glad to show you the kingdom.” Loki says quickly and is rewarded by a bright smile from Thor.

“Excellent. I will see you tomorrow then.” Still smiling, Thor nods at Loki and leaves. Loki, still surprised, goes into his study and puts the papers on the desk. He sits down and tries to slow his hammering heart down. It takes longer than he would ever admit to anyone.  
Taking a deep breath, Loki finds the work he needs to prepare now he doesn’t have as much time tomorrow.

So he has to spend a whole day with Thor. That’s fine. That’s not a problem. Thor will probably bring some of the other Æsir to share the experience.

It’s fine.

**

Thor does not bring the other Æsir.

The next morning, the Æsir prince is waiting for Loki by the gate, dressed in furs and a bright smile as soon as he lays eyes on the Jötnar king.

“Well met, my friend.” Thor greets him.

“Well met,” Loki replies, “are you ready to see Jötunheimr?”

“More than that. Lead the way.” Thor waves a hand towards the city and Loki starts walking. He can’t help but smile. Thor’s good mood and bright spirit seems almost infectious. It’s hard to be in a bad mood around him.

“Do you often walk among your people?” Thor asks as they leave the palace area and go into the city surrounding it. People step out of their way and bow down before their king, smiling at Loki. The greetings for Thor are more varied. Most seem cautious, but friendly. Some avoid looking at him or send him hostile looks, but Loki hopes that the coming peace will change that.

“Not as often as I would like. There is much for me to do at the palace and I rarely have time to just wander.” Loki says, nodding kindly to a passing woman and her children. They all smile and bow before moving on.

“Aye. The life of a ruler is often too full with royalty and too little with the people we serve.” Thor says, smiling broadly to anyone who passes, no matter what looks they send back. The scattered hostility doesn’t seem to discourage him. “But it is clear that your people adore you. I had not expected Frost Giants to show so many feelings… What’s wrong?”

Loki winces, knowing his face must have betrayed his feelings. “It’s… Frost Giants… Most Jötnar dislike it. It is what is called at us across the battlefield, it is what our enemies call us… I would hope we are no longer enemies…” Loki looks carefully at Thor, trying to control his emotions, to not give anything away. Thor smiles warmly back at him.

“We are not. Far from it!” Thor says enthusiastically, grabbing Loki by the arm. “We are friends. More than friends. Allies and brothers in battle.”

“Then… If I may ask a favor of you, as a friend… Call us Jötnar and not Frost Giants…” Loki says, trying to keep his balance with Thor still holding his arm and moving down the street.

“Of course. Had I know it was disliked among your people, I would never have used it. I will tell my friends to use Jötnar as well.” Thor promises wholeheartedly. The word sounds a little odd in Thor’s Æsir accent, but Loki can’t help smile. The utter willingness to change because it will make Loki feel better is endearing.

“Tell me more of your peoples language and customs. We have very little knowledge of Jötnar in Asgard…” Thor continues, still holding Loki’s arm.

So, as they walk together through the city, Loki talks about his people, their history and their language. Thor is an attentive audience and asks a lot of questions. He seems truly eager to learn more and to visit all the places Loki mentions.

They eat at a local restaurant when they get hungry and Thor happily puts away any traditional Jötnar food on the menu. It’s impressive how much he eats and by the end of dinner, the owner of the restaurant comes out to talk to him. Thor is friendly and interested, listening to the history of the family before waving goodbye and following Loki back into the city.

**

It’s only when it starts to get dark that Loki realizes how late it is. Thor doesn’t seem to mind, as he has taken over the talking and is in the middle of telling the story of how he once caught a vast sea serpent. It’s a riveting tale and Thor tells it with great enthusiasm. It’s nice to listen to him talk so passionately and Loki doesn’t want him to stop.

Standing in the dusk, listening to Thor’s voice and looking at the city, Loki finally acknowledges what he has known all along. He doesn’t see a bad ending with Thor because there wouldn’t be one. They would be happy together. They would fall in love easily. He knows because he has already fallen.

But it can’t happen. Thor is engaged to an Æsir Valkyrie and has no idea what Loki is thinking about. Nor will he ever is Loki has any say in it. Not only could it jeopardize the peace but, more importantly, it might jeopardize his newfound friendship with Thor.

It will be fine. Loki never expected to marry for love. After the curse, he didn’t expect any kind of relationship either. He put all his energy into serving his people and taking care of his kingdom. It was easy to avoid any romantic connections when he could see all the bad endings as soon as he met someone. Not seeing one with Thor makes it harder to ignore, but not impossible. As long as no one else knows, it will be fine.

It’s fine.

He will be fine.

It’s fine.

It has to be.

**

“It’s dark. We should return to the castle now.” Loki says when Thor finishes. He didn’t want to interrupt the story, but with the stars coming out, Loki needs to get away from Thor before he does something unseemly or stupid. Or before it starts to hurt too much being with someone he can never have in a romantic atmosphere.

“Ah yes. Of course.” Thor says with a small smile that Loki can’t exactly interpret. Instead of trying, he starts walking back through the city and Thor quickly follows. They walk side by side in silence for a while. They are close enough that Loki could take Thor’s hand if he wanted. Well, he does want to. But he knows he can’t. And that’s fine.

It’s fine.

At the castle doors, Thor stops and puts a hand on Loki’s shoulder. “Thank you for this day my friend. I have learned much.”

“You’re welcome… Friend…” Loki smiles. The word is unusual in his mouth, but nice. If he cannot have Thor as a partner, having him as a friend is the next best thing. And Thor does seem to genuinely like Loki as a friend. It’s rare for him to find people who care about him as a person without seeing his crown. Maybe it’s easier for Thor to ignore because he is royalty too.

Thor pats his shoulder. “Tomorrow, when we return to the negotiations, I will have a better understanding of your people. And we will make great progress, I am sure of it.”

“I hope so,” Loki says with a smile. “Progress would be nice by now. And less yelling.”

“Ha! With Asgardians at the meetings, there will always be yelling. But it does not have to be bad. Often we shout to celebrate. And we will soon celebrate the peace between our realms.”

“I hope you are right.” Loki can’t quiet help but share in Thor’s optimism. It seems impossible after such a nice day.

After they part, Loki goes to his study to prepare for the meeting. Thor said he would go find his friends, wanting to tell them about his day.

It was a good day. Alone in the dim study, Loki allows himself to think back on it and enjoy the time spend with Thor. He remembers every touch and every laugh. Thor has a nice laugh that always makes Loki want to join in. A friendly, welcoming laugh. It suits him. Everything about Thor is friendly and welcoming.

And Loki will never be more than his friend.

It’s fine.

It has to be.

**

The next weeks are filled with meetings, planning and work. Loki forgets to eat more than once and only really sleeps when Helblinde drags him from his study in the middle of the night. There is a lot to do and never enough time.

On the bright side, the meetings are getting better and they are actually starting to make progress. Since their day in the city, Thor has stopped saying Frost Giants and has made the other Æsir do the same. It helps to make the Jötnar friendlier towards the Æsir and eases the negotiations.

It also helps that Loki has made sure they have every fourth day off to rest and enjoy themselves. Sometimes the Æsir return home to Asgard to report back how the negotiations are proceeding. Thor never goes. On every day off, he asks Loki to do something, to spend time together in some way. Loki shows him around the castle and gardens, the area around the city and the parts of the city they didn’t see the first time. It’s wonderful. Thor seems to always be happy, always interested in Loki and his people. Even if it takes time away from the ever-growing burden of work, Loki never says no to Thor.

Who needs sleep anyway?

**

The meeting has been going on for several hours. He is not really sure how many meetings they have had so far. He is not really sure what day it is.

Even before the shouting started Loki had had a headache and it’s only gotten worse as the voices in the room started to get louder. Rubbing his temples with his fingertips, Loki tries in vain to focus on what is being said. Someone is mad about… Something. It’s so hard to make the words out. But he knows that it’s nothing productive.

“Enough.” He is standing, both hands resting on the table and eyes looking from Jötnar to Æsir in front of him, even if he can’t see any of them clearly. “This is getting us nowhere. It’s time for a break.”

He straightens up, taking a step away from the table. “It’s time for a break.”

Did he already say that?

It’s hard to focus. The room seems smaller than usually. Someone is talking, but he can’t make out the words. They seem far away.

Why is he cold?

“We need to… We need…” The words are slipping away from him, his tongue feeling like lead in his mouth.

The room is tilting. Everything is spinning. It’s so cold.

Darkness.

**


	3. Ice Fever

In truth, Thor hates the meetings. They are long and boring and more complicated than he likes to admit. At least the Frost Giants seemed genuinely interested in negotiating a peace treaty that will be beneficial for both parties. Especially their king.

Thor had always believed that all Frost Giants were cold and detached, but Loki was nothing like that. He would often smile and there was no doubt that he cared greatly for his people. King Loki had been a surprise in many ways. He seemed a lot younger that Thor had expected. He knew that the former king, Loki’s father, Fárbauti, had died some years ago, but he never imagined what his successor would be like. As it turns out, the heir to the crown of the Frost Giants was young, handsome and intelligent.

When Thor had offered his hand, he had actually not expected Loki to take it. He had heard many stories about how the Frost Giants would avoid physical contact and not even hold their children, but Loki had only hesitated for a moment. His skin had been pleasantly cool, but not as icy as Thor had expected. He had barely been there for five minutes and he was already learning that most of what he knew about Frost Giants was false rumors.

And then he started spending time with Loki, learning about the Jötnar, as they preferred to be called and telling him about the Asgardians. He had seen the city and met the people. It had truly been an eye-opener and Thor had learned more about Jötnar on his first walk with Loki than he had in years in Asgard.

When the others went back home to inform his father of their progress, Thor had stayed. He had used their days off to talk to Loki, to learn more and spend time with him. Thor was surprised how much he enjoyed spending time with the Jötnar king, even on the days where Loki seemed tired and a little distant. It’s obvious that the young king have an extreme amount of work to do, being the lone ruler of Jötunheimr. Odin has Frigg and often the help of his sons and advisors. Thor knows that Loki has his two brothers, but both seem to be far below him in the hierarchy and the final decision always falls on Loki. That he even has time to walk with Thor is actually surprising. It makes him appreciate their time together even more.

**

The meeting seems to be even loner than the others. Thor stopped listening a little while ago and now everybody is yelling, anger rising too much to make out why. Thor is about to say something when Loki stands.

“Enough. This is getting us nowhere. It’s time for a break.” The pale king says, raising his voice and letting his eyes wander around the room. Everybody quiets down. It still impresses Thor how Loki can command a room so easily. Thor can get the attention, sure, but he does so by being the loudest. Loki doesn’t have to yell to get everybody to look at him. He just has to be.

“It’s time for a break.” Loki repeats, swaying slightly. Thor frowns at how slurred Loki’s voice sounds, like his mouth won’t form the words properly.

“My king?” Helblinde asks from the other side of the table, looking worried.

“We need to… We need…” Loki’s eyes are unfocused and he is swaying even more. Helblinde is already halfway out of his chair when Loki falls, but Thor is both closer and faster, catching the Jötnar king before he hits the ground. Loki is unconscious and far colder than the other times Thor has touched him.

“LOKI?!” Helblinde hurries to Thor’s side and puts his hands on Loki before swearing under his breath with many words Thor doesn’t understand. Both the Asgadians and the other Jötnar are quietly looking on, their expressions ranging from confusion to worry.

“We will postpone the meeting.” Helblinde says calmly, looking up from his brother. It’s an abrupt change from the way he looked when leaning close to Thor and Loki, but because he was standing with his back to the table, only Thor knows how wide and terrified his eyes were. “Our king needs rest. He has been working hard to make this peace treaty happen. Don’t be alarmed. Please, return to your rooms and take a little time to rest as well.”

The others look relieved and slowly start leaving the room. Helblinde turns back to Thor. “Lord Thor, will you please help me bring King Loki back to his room?”

“Yes, of course.” Thor follows when Helblinde leaves the room and hurries into a part of the castle where Thor has only been briefly. He knows Loki’s study and room is nearby, but he has only seen the study so far.

Helblinde walks to an inconspicuous door and for a moment Thor wonders why they are going into a closet, but when he looks inside, he sees a bed, table and a dresser. Helblinde holds the door open as Thor goes inside, looking around in surprise. In the guestrooms, where he stays with the other Asgardians, there is a cloakroom for their trunks and travel stuff. That room is bigger than this one, which is the king’s bedroom. Thor pauses for a moment in utter surprise. His own rooms in Asgard suddenly seem extravagant and overdone.

“Here…” Helblinde says, pulling Thor from his surprise, as the Jötnar pulls the covers off the bed. Thor quickly puts Loki in the bed and Helblinde wraps him tightly in covers and blankets before kneeling down and putting a hand on his brother’s forehead. Thor steps a little back. He is still unfamiliar with Jötnar magic, but he knows that Helblinde is a skilled healer.

That Helblinde curses again is not a good sign.

“He keeps working himself to exhaustion, it’s no wonder his body isn’t strong enough to fight off disease.” Helblinde sighs and gets up from the floor.

“He’s sick?” Thor asks, suddenly feeling as worried as Helblinde looks.

“He has Ice Fever. It’s luckily quite uncommon, but it still strikes from time to time. It makes his body stop producing heat. We need to keep him warm so he doesn’t freeze to death.” Helblinde explains.

“I heard that all Jötnar have ice in their blood…” Thor says quietly.

“And I’ve heard that all Æsir have molten gold instead of blood, but that doesn’t mean that I believe it.” Helblinde says, annoyance clear in his voice. Loki is far paler than before and if not for his weak breathing, he could have been dead.

Thor looks down, mumbling that he is trying to learn. Helblinde doesn’t answer, but goes out and calls for a servant to prepare bed warmers and find more blankets. Thor only hesitates for a second before pulling off his shirt. When Helblinde returns, Thor has removed his shoes and is sitting on the edge of Loki’s bed.

“What are you doing?” Helblinde asks, stopping in the door.

“He’s too cold. All Asgardians run hot.” Thor explains, laying down in the bed and moving closer to Loki. The young king doesn’t react, but Helblinde nods quietly and covers the two of them in several blankets. It should have been too hot, but Loki’s cold skin actually makes it quite pleasant. Thor puts his arms around Loki and pulls him close, trying to share as much of his warmth as possible.

“How dangerous is it?” Thor asks after a moment of silence. From seeing Helblinde’s face, he is pretty sure it’s bad.

“It’s…” Helblinde sighs and sits down on the chair by the table. “When treated immediately, about half survive… And Loki… My king has not been taking care of himself lately… He is weaker than he should be…”

Involuntarily, Thor pulls the unresponsive Loki closer. “What can we do?”

“Keep him warm. That’s the most important. If he gets too cold, his body or mind could be damaged or he could… It’s not sure he would wake up again…” Helblinde’s says quietly.

Thor nods. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that Helblinde is Loki’s brother, but looking at his worried face Thor has no doubt about how much he cares.

The servant returns with hot water, blankets and Býleistr. Helblinde goes outside the room to explain the situation to him. They are speaking Jötnar too fast for Thor to follow, but he recognizes the concern in their voices. Býleistr comes back in with Helblinde. He doesn’t say anything about Thor being in the bed with Loki, he just kneels down and puts a hand on his brother’s face. He doesn’t speak and leaves after a little while.

When he is gone, Helblinde places the bed warmers in the bed. It’s getting uncomfortably hot and Thor is sweating, but Loki is still cold to the touch, so he doesn’t dare move until Helblinde tells him to. He lifts Loki’s head a little and Helblinde gently feeds him spoonfuls of hot water. Loki still doesn’t react and more than once the water just runs down the side of his face. Helblinde keeps going until the bowl is almost empty and the water is too cold to help.

Together, they lie Loki back down and Helblinde wraps them both in blankets.

**

Very little happens for a very long time after that.

When the bed warmers get cold, they are changed for warmer ones and ever so often Helblinde and Thor will work together to feed Loki hot water or soup with healing herbs. Loki never moves and stays cold.

Helblinde only leaves the room when he absolutely has to, most often to talk with Býleistr, who will come by regularly for updates. He doesn’t talk much to Thor, but is clearly very worried about Loki. Thor doesn’t leave the bed, except when his body forces him to and he never leaves without making sure Loki will be as warm as possible in his absence.

It’s clear that Helblinde is worried about Loki. He is in the room almost as much as Thor, sitting in a chair just watching his brother or walking the length of the small room to get rid of his nervous energy.

**

“Has this happened before?” Thor asks when Helblinde puts away an empty bowl of soup they managed to feed to Loki.

“Not Ice Fever…” Helblinde answers, sitting down again. “As I told you, it’s pretty rare… But Loki getting sick because he works his body to the brink of exhaustion? Yes… I’m sorry to say that it has happened more than I like to think about…”

“Why?” Thor asks, unable to understand how a ruler could end up like this, sick and weak.

Helblinde smiles sadly. “Loki always cared more for our people than for himself. He often forgets to take care of himself when focused on a task he believes will benefit the kingdom. There have been so much to do with the peace treaty, he has barely had time to rest since the negotiations started.”

“I had no idea…” Thor carefully rearranges Loki so he is more comfortably leaning on Thor as they lie down. He feels a stab of guilt for taking so much of Loki’s time, having the young king show him the city and surrounding area. While Thor is pretty sure Loki had a good time with him, had he known it was the only free time Loki had, Thor would have hesitated to ask. When the meetings were done for him, he would retire back to his rooms and have fun with his friends. From what Helblinde says, it sounds like Loki went from each meeting back to his study to work.

Thor doesn’t realize how close he is holding Loki before one of the Jötnar’s hipbones digs painfully into his side and Thor relaxes his grip a little. Loki is thin, very thin. While many Jötnar are slimmer than Asgardians, Loki seems to be especially lithe and small even among his own kind. Thor thought it was just his build, but now he is beginning to suspect that Loki eats about as much as he sleeps.

Ignoring the pain, Thor pulls Loki closer again.

**

It’s the middle of the night when Loki moves for the first time since passing out at the meeting. It’s weak and Thor is mostly asleep when it happens, so at first he thinks he dreamed it. Then it happens again. Loki makes a small noise and moves closer to Thor, clearly seeking the warmth from the Æsir. Thor runs a gentle hand through his hair and Loki lets out a content sigh. Thor stays still, waiting for anything else, but Loki seems to be asleep.

Thor doesn’t get more sleep that night, watching over Loki as he moves weakly in his sleep. It happens more and more often as time goes by and Thor feels himself hoping that it means Loki is getting better.

When Helblinde comes into the room with breakfast, Thor wastes no time in telling him what happened. Helblinde quickly kneels by the bed and checks on his brother.

“He is getting warmer.” Helblinde says, smiling with relief. “If he keeps moving and heating up, he should wake up soon. When he wakes up, he’ll be out of danger.”


	4. Recovery

Something very warm is pressed against his side as Loki slowly returns to consciousness. It feels very pleasant and he moves a little, trying to get closer. The warmth moves too, but not away. It pulls him closer and a big hand gently cups the back of Loki’s head.

“Be still, little one. You are safe.”

The voice seems big, warm and comforting. It’s familiar and Loki trusts it.

It takes a while before Loki is coherent enough to understand that the warmth pressed against him is a body, a person, holding him. It takes even longer before he can open his eyes to see who it actually is.

“Thor?” His voice sounds hoarse and broken, weak from disuse. The room is dark, but somehow it’s easy to see Thor’s face in the dim light. His blue eyes are wide and worried.

“Easy friend. You are still weak.” Thor says quieter than Loki has ever heard him before. He runs a gentle hand through Loki’s hair.

“Wh… Where… What…?” Loki tries, but neither his mind nor his mouth is able to form a full sentence at the moment. He feels weak, almost exhausted despite just waking up. It’s hard to think and all he wants to do is snuggle up to Thor’s warm body since Loki’s own feels colder than usually.

“You got sick.” Thor explains. “Helblinde called it Ice Fever. You’ve been out for several days.”

Loki knows of Ice Fever. It’s very dangerous and often deadly. If he really had Ice Fever, and Helblinde is very rarely wrong about these kinds of things, it’s lucky that he is still alive.

“I… I’m… I…” Loki tires, but it’s still hard to make anything coherent happen. Thor doesn’t seem to mind, he just smiles and pulls Loki a little closer. “Rest. Your brother will be here soon with something you can eat.”

Thor is so warm and comfortable. Being held close like this makes Loki feel safer than he has for years, safe as he only felt when his mother or father held him as a child. Like nothing can harm him because there was someone between him and the rest of the world. Loki’s eyes fall closed and he can’t stop himself from nuzzling a little into Thor. Since the prince doesn’t react, it must be okay.

**

It feels like only seconds have passed when Loki is stirred by soft voices close by. He recognizes Thor and Helblinde almost at once, his brother asking the Æsir something.

“Did he seem lucid? Did he understand what you said to him?”

“I think so. He looked like he understood, but he couldn’t really talk.”

“He is very weak. It will take a while before he regains his strength.”

“Helblinde?” Loki’s voice is much weaker than the others, but the both stop talking as soon as they hear him. Loki opens his eyes and sees his youngest brother kneeling by the bed.

“I’m here my king. How do you feel?” Helblinde asks gently.

“Tired…” Loki tries to focus but it takes a moment. “Cold…”

Helblinde’s hand feels warm against his forehead and Loki’s eyes slip closed again.

“You are still sick, but I think we are over the worst of it.” Helblinde removes his hand again and Loki hears movement. Then Thor grabs him gently and moves him until he is sitting against the broad chest of the Æsir, Thor’s arms wrapped around his waist. Loki hums quietly and rests his head against Thor. He wouldn’t mind staying like this forever.

“Don’t fall asleep on me now, my king.” Helblinde says, making Loki open his eyes to see his brother sitting on the edge of the bed with a bowl of soup. “You need to eat something first.”

Helblinde slowly feeds him the soup while Thor holds him. A small part of Loki feels like he should be embarrassed at needing so much help just to eat, but he also feels like lifting his hands would be almost impossible.

The soup is warm and taste like herbs that reminds Loki of the palace gardens where his mother used to teach him about magic and plants. The heat spreads out in his cold body and makes him feel heavy and relaxed. His eyes are closed, but Helblinde tells him when to open his mouth and the soup is easy to eat. Sometimes, he can hear Thor talk and feel the vibration from his voice in his chest, but the words escape him. They don’t seem important. Sometimes a big hand will stroke his arm gently.

At some point Loki falls asleep without noticing it.

**

Every time he wakes up, Thor is there, holding him close and keeping him warm. Loki knows enough about Ice Fever to know that heat is essential to his recovery, but secretly he adores being held in the Æsir’s strong arms. He doesn’t have the energy to think about how bad it is or how much it will hurt later, so he just lets himself enjoy it.

Most of the time Helblinde will be there too, feeding him, asking him how he fells, telling him about what has happened in his absence. Loki tries to follow because he knows it’s important, but he quickly loses thread of the conversation and Helblinde has to repeat most of what he says. Of course, his brother never complains and quickly learns to keep their conversations short so Loki can keep up.

It’s enervating, not having enough energy to have a normal conversation, but slowly Loki starts getting better. He feels more aware when he is awake, he can sit and eat on his own and he doesn’t feel as cold anymore.

As he gets better, Býleistr starts to come by more often, not having wanted to disturb Loki too much when he was weak.

After Býleistr comes the council, all offering their wishes for his hasty recovery and sending Thor wondering looks since the Æsir is still in the bed holding Loki when they come to see him. Thor refuses to leave as long as Loki is still colder than he should be and Helblinde makes sure he doesn’t get too many visitors at one time.

What surprises Loki is that the other Æsir also show up to give their well wishes and offer a few Asgardian remedies to make him feel better. They greet Thor as they enter, but keep their attention on Loki, asking if there is anything they can do to help and promising that they don’t mind waiting for him to get well before resuming the negotiations.

Having everyone come see him, showing that they care or at least pretend to for the sake of peace, is humbling and Loki does his best to keep focus on the visitor, even when he gets tired. It always ends with Helblinde sending the visitor away so Loki can rest.

**

Loki has no concept of time. He wakes, eats, talks to the visitors and sleeps. He is pretty sure he sleeps more than normally, but since he is still recovering, it’s to be expected. He does know, however, that it takes days before he gets strong enough to get out of bed on his own.

“You’re not sick anymore,” Helblinde say after examining Loki carefully. “But you are still weak, so you need more rest than normally. Which means that you actually need to sleep at night.”

Loki sits down on the bed again and smiles. “I promise. I’ll make sure to get more sleep from now on.”

“Now, where have I heard that before?” Helblinde says with a sly smile. It’s not the first time Loki has promised to take better care of himself.

“I am glad you are better friend.” Thor says as Loki lies back down next to him. “But it worries me that you have done this before. Your people need you to lead them, they do not need you to hurt yourself like this.”

“I just… There is so much to do…” Loki says quietly. Thor pulls the covers over them and puts his arms around Loki. “You need more help then.”

“Maybe…” Loki is too tired to have this conversation again. He has it far too often with Helblinde. Thor seems to sense it, because he doesn’t say any more. He just pulls Loki closer. Loki sights and snuggles up to Thor, as close as possible. He has almost regained his normal body temperature, which means the soon Thor won’t need to keep him warm anymore. Then Thor will leave and everything will go back to the way it was before.

Loki clenches his teeth and closes his eyes, fighting the sting of tears. This is the only thing they will ever have and Thor knows nothing of what it means to Loki. Soon, Thor will go back to the other Æsir and then the negotiations will continue. After that, Thor will return to Asgard.

And it will be fine.

Loki will be fine.

He has to be.

**

Loki is sitting in bed, eating his breakfast. Helblinde is making tea with some of his healing herbs and Thor is standing next to the bed.

“Please, do not let me keep you from your friends any longer. You have already spent more than enough time taking care of me.” Loki says, smiling at the Æsir.

“Are you sure? I can stay if you need me.” Thor says, looking worriedly at Loki.

“I’m sure. I will be fine. The negotiations will resume tomorrow and I’ll make sure to get enough sleep before then. Go, please. Spend a little time with your friends.” Loki promises.

“Very well. But I will come back if you need me. Do not hesitate to ask.” Thor says as he picks up his shirt and walks to the door.

“I will not.” Loki lies, knowing that he could never again ask anything of Thor. His heart is already breaking.

Thor nods slowly and leaves. Loki’s smile disappears as soon as he is gone. Helblinde puts the cup of tea down in the bedside table and looks at his brother and king with sad eyes.

“Don’t say anything… Please… Just… Leave me…” Loki whispers, not looking up.

Helblinde leaves quietly and the door closes behind him. Loki covers his face with his hands and finally allows himself to cry.

**

The next day the negotiations resume. It turns out that the Jötnar and the Æsir spend Loki’s absence getting to know each other better and the meetings are very different now. There is more laughter, more smiles and almost no yelling. It’s easier to reach an understanding and both sides seem more willing to bend and meet in the middle. The meeting is actually pleasant and everybody seems eager to create a lasting peace. They also seem determined not to put too much pressure on Loki, quickly volunteering to do what he was expected to do before.

After a very productive meeting, where Fandral gathers the papers and Helblinde cleans what little there is to clean, Loki is left standing a little confused at the head of the table until Thor steps over to him.

“It gladdens me to see you standing again my friend.” He says with a bright smile. His eyes are so blue and warm, so unlike the cool waters around Jötunheimr. Looking into them must be like swimming in the warm lakes in Asgard.

Loki blinks once, willing himself not to drown in those eyes. “I’m glad to be back. I have never been good at being idle.”

“This time, I do hope you will take better care. I don’t want you to be sick again.” Thor says, worry seeping into his eyes and Loki looks away, picking up a random piece of paper that Fandral has yet to collect to busy himself.

“I’ll try. I’m afraid I’m not good at remembering to take care of myself.” Loki says. Thor puts a big, warm hand on his shoulder. “As long as I am here, I will remind you so you do not forget.”

“Ah… Thank you… Excuse me, I have to…” Loki quickly grabs the rest of the papers from Fandral and flees to his study.

_As long as I am here._

Loki collapses into his chair, hiding his face in his hands and fighting his own breath.

It’s temporary. Thor will leave soon, return to his life in Asgard, to his warrior maiden.

It’s temporary. All of it. Thor worrying about him, Thor’s hands touching him, Thor’s voice. Thor being there at all. Temporary. It will end as soon as the peace treaty is done. A small part of Loki wants to find a way to obstruct the negotiations, to keep the Æsir in Jötunheimr for as long as possible, but he could never do that to his people. They deserve peace. So it’s temporary. All of it.

Except Loki’s love for Thor.

He already knows it won’t end when Thor leaves. He doubts it will ever end.

But that’s fine.

Loki always knew he was not meant for love.

**

After two days of meetings, they take a day off again. It seems that the others are even more insistent on breaks after Loki’s sickness. He would have thought they had had enough of idling in Jötunheimr, but it seems they don’t mind another day to themselves.

Loki gets up early after a full night of sleep because Helblinde forced him to rest. There are only a few people awake at this hour, so his breakfast is quiet until it is interrupted by Thor, who comes to sit beside him.

“You are up early. I hope you do not overexert yourself again my friend.” Thor greets him.

“No, I slept. I just never sleep that long in the morning.” Loki says, smiling. It is very nice that Thor cares about him, about his health. But he has to remind himself that it is only temporary. Thor will leave soon. Loki needs to be ready for that.

“I was hoping you would spend the day with me again, like we used to.” Thor says with a hopeful smile. “I would like to hear more about your library.”

“I… Ah… I can’t, I’m afraid…” Loki lies. “In my absence a lot of work has piled up and I need to look at that now I have time. I’m sorry….”

It hurts how much Thor’s face changes at that. The bright, friendly smile disappears and gets replaced by something resigned, maybe even disappointed. Loki tires not to think about it.

“I see… I will not keep you from your work then…” Thor says quietly. Loki looks down at his foods and bites his tongue. In truth, there isn’t much from his absence. Helblinde and Býleistr had taken over his responsibilities and solved most of the problems between them. There are only a few things that he needs to look at and if he wanted, he could have that done by lunch and spend the rest of the day with Thor.

But he can’t. It’s already too much and he needs to distance himself from the Asgardian. He needs to be ready to be without him again. It won’t be easier if he spends the day listening to his joyful voice and remembering the warmth of his embrace. No, it is better to stay away from him when he can.

It’s better.

**

“I’ve never seen you in love before…”

Helblinde is quiet and Loki was so absorbed in his work that he didn’t notice his brother was in his study until Helblinde speaks. Loki turns quickly, surprised. “What… What are you talking about?”

“The Æsir prince… Thor… You are in love with him, aren’t you?” Helblinde asks.

“Of course not.” Loki says, turning back to his work and silently hoping that Helblinde will take that as his clue to leave.

He doesn’t.

“You are in love with him. What do you see when you look at him?” Helblinde sits down next to Loki, leaning a little over the table so Loki can’t ignore him.

“I… I don’t see anything… I don’t see an ending…” Loki says quietly. He puts down his pen and sighs. He could never keep anything secret from Helblinde.

“So why don’t you tell him?”

“He is engaged to an Asgardian warrior named Sif. When the negotiations are over, he will return to her.”

“Oh…” Helblinde gently puts a hand on his shoulder. “But maybe… If you told him…”

“No.” Loki shakes his head. “I won’t threaten our alliance by doing something so selfish. He will leave and everything will return to normal.”

“That’s not how love works…” Helblinde looks sadly at Loki, who just returns to his work. “I will be fine.”

**

Loki keeps finding excuses for not spending his days off with Thor and after a few tries, Thor stops asking. Loki tries not to let the disappointment choke him when he sees Thor making plans with his friends or even some friendly Jötnar he has gotten to know during his stay. It’s better like this.

It’s better.

It’s supposed to be better.

Then why does it feel so much worse?


	5. Parting

When the negotiations are almost done, Loki starts making preparations for a celebratory feast. It will be fitting, he thinks, to end the Asgardin visit like it began. With a grand feast. Only this time, he knows a lot more about what the Æsir like and what they enjoy. Especially Thor. So, if the celebration will feature all the dishes and drinks Thor has mentioned he likes, a several storytellers and music fit for dancing, it’s only because he is sure all of the Æsir will enjoy it. It’s not a parting gift to Thor.

It’s not.

**

Even with the party waiting, Loki makes sure not to rush the final stages of the negotiations. Everything needs to be done right, with as much focus as possible, to give both sides the best deal possible. They take their time to go over everything again, to discuss the wording and the order, the trade deals and travel arrangements.

It takes several days, but in the end, they are all in agreement that the peace treaty is done. It’s a day worthy of celebration, only made a little darker by the fact that Thor has been avoiding Loki since they stopped spending their days off together. So it’s surprising when Thor walks over to Loki after their final meeting and holds out his hand.

“Congratulations. You did it.”

“Ah… Thank you… Congratulations to you too.” Loki says, taking his hand. Thor’s skin is still so warm and Loki wants to pull him closer, wants to feel those strong arms around him again, but he barely moves and quickly lets go of the hand. “We did it together.”

“The negotiations, yes. But they would never have started without you.” Thor says quietly. “My father is too stubborn to offer peace, even if he can see it is the best option. Had you not reached out to us, we would still be at war.”

“I only did what is best for my people. Far too many have already died.” Loki says, trying to hide his blush. He missed Thor’s voice so much more than he realized.

“Now, no more will die. Because of you.” Thor says and Loki can’t bring himself to meet those blue eyes.

“Because of us.” Loki says, still not looking at Thor. Before the Asgardian can disagree, several Jötnar come over to congratulate the both of them and in the sea of people, Thor and Loki are quickly parted.

It’s as it should be.

But it still hurts.

**

Loki makes sure he is busy for the rest of the day, trying to ignore the growing hole in his chest. It helps that there is a lot to do before the party and Helblinde is there to distract him.

When the party is ready to begin Loki has almost managed to forget that Thor will leave tomorrow.

Almost.

**

The music is playing gently as the doors open to reveal a hall decorated with both Æsir and Jötnar decorations. New Asgardian symbols painted proudly next to centuries old decorations in the stones. As far as Loki knows, nothing like this has ever been seen in these halls. He is proud to be part of it.

He is the first one to enter, walking slowly into the great hall filled with food, drinks and music. It smells wonderful and Loki sincerely hopes that the Asgardians will enjoy their last day in his realm. That they will leave with fond memories.

After him comes Helblinde and Býleistr, followed by Thor and Heimdallr. After them comes the rest of the Æsir and Jötnar delegations and then the royalty that has to be invited but weren’t important enough to be part of the meetings.

Loki can hear the excited murmurs behind him as they walk into the hall, eager whispered speculations of what’s to come. Loki smiles. He does love to create an exciting event for his guests.

Walking through the room, Loki heads to the far wall and the high table to sit in his chair. He is in the center of the table with a good view of the entire hall, his guests and council members on either side of him. If he could, he would have places Thor further away to keep the distance, but it would have been a great insult to the Asgardian prince. So Thor is to his right and Loki has to get through the night. Tomorrow Thor will leave.

The food is served and lets Loki think of something other than the Asgardians leaving. Especially since Thor is delighted by almost every dish and talks at length about how he wants to bring some of his favorites back to Asgard with him so he can have them at home as well. Loki smiles and allows himself to enjoy the conversation even if every mention of Thor’s home feels like a stab in his chest.

This night, at least, will be a fond memory.

After dinner, when all plates have been removed, comes the night’s entertainment. Jugglers and storytellers, dancers and acrobats, even a few seiðkonur to give a display of seiðr, the magic shared by Jötnar and Æsir alike. When invited, Loki joined them with a small demonstration of his own powers, even if they were not seiðr. The Asgardian guests seemed suitably impressed by it. Loki has little reason to use his magic in his daily life and it’s nice to show what he can actually do.

When the main show is over, servants come to move most of the tables to the sides of the room, leaving the floor open for dancing. Several of the entertainers stay, mingling with the guests and showing off their skills when asked. More alcohol is brought in so no one will have an empty glass for long. The music changes from a gentle melody in the background to a jaunty tune that asks for attention. Helblinde takes Loki by the arm and drags him to the dance floor as the first.

It is not uncommon for Loki to have the first dance and since he has not had a relationship since Amora, dancing with Helblinde has become normal. His brother knows Loki well enough for their dance to be fluid and graceful. In truth, Loki enjoys the dancing much and only puts up a small show of resistance whenever Helblinde asks him.

Soon more people join them on the dance floor, Jötnar asking Æsir and Æsir asking Jötnar until the floor is filled with mixed couples dancing. Looking around, Loki can’t help but smile. This. This is what he wanted, what he fought for, why he stayed up night after night to makes sure peace would happen.

Loki smiles and Helblinde squeezes his arm gently.

When the music stops, Loki pulls back as the floor is filled with new constellations of dancers. He stands by the wall and watches it quietly, letting himself enjoy the success of his hard work.

“You did it.”

Thor’s voice is almost quiet among the music and laughter. Loki turns to look at the prince who comes to stand next to him. Thor look wonderful, dressed in blue and red. The style is unfamiliar, so it must be Asgardian fashion. It looks good on him.

“We did it.” Loki corrects him and Thor shakes his head.

“You can take credit. None of this would have happened without you.” Thor looks at him, his blue eyes soft and warm. Loki can’t help but smile.

For a few songs they just stand there, next to each other, watching the dancers. It doesn’t hurt as much like this, the quiet togetherness in the middle of a loud room. The other Asgardians are laughing and drinking and dancing, but Thor just stays quietly by Loki’s side.

“Will you dance with me?” Thor asks, looking at Loki with something in his eyes that the young king can’t really interpret.

He should say no. There is no logical reason why he would say yes. It wouldn’t be any offence; Loki could be tired after a long day or just not enjoy dancing outside of the first dance. Maybe he doesn’t like the song. Keeping his distance to Thor would spare him at least some of the pain when he leaves. And yet…

“Yes. I will.” Loki takes Thor’s hand and follows him to the dance floor. There are a lot of other people there, but they all move aside for the king and the prince. Thor puts his arms around Loki and starts moving gently. The song is soft and slow, made for holding someone close and Loki lets himself have this moment, being held by Thor for the first time since he was sick. He lets everything else fade away and closes his eyes. Leaning on Thor, following his movements, for just this one song, there is nothing but the two of them in the world.

Thor is warm and firm and soft all at once. He smells like a rainstorm and moves as surely as a river. It’s easy to just follow him, to be held and move where Thor leads. If he could, Loki would stay in this moment for the rest of his life.

But moments end and when the song stops, Loki pulls away. He gives Thor a bright smile and bows his head lightly. “Thank you. I… I will remember this… When you leave.”

Thor opens his mouth to say something, but suddenly everything is pressing in on Loki. Everything is too much. Because Thor will leave. Soon. And Loki might never see him again. This will be the last time.

“Excuse me.” Loki says before Thor can speak and hurries from the dance floor, out of the hall and into the night. A light rain is falling, cooling Loki’s skin. It only helps a little.

Loki walks aimlessly in the rain until his breathing slows down and his heart stops pounding in his chest. He pauses for a moment when lightning flashes in the sky just above his head. It’s clear and bright, a lot bigger than he is used to when there isn’t a storm. It’s beautiful. And fleeting. Like Thor.

Thor will leave tomorrow.

Loki sits down on a bench and hides his face in his hands. In the rain, no one can see the tears.

**

It’s still raining when he finally gets up. He is cold, but not as cold as when he had Ice Fever. It’s fine.

Loki is glad the hallways are almost deserted when he walks back into the palace. He goes slowly to the hall, leaving wet footprints where he walks.

He stops in the door, looking into the hall. The Asgardians are still all there, laughing and drinking surrounded by amused Jötnar. Everybody seems to be enjoying themselves. Only Thor is not among them. Loki finds him after a second, sitting in a corner talking seriously to Helblinde.

Loki hesitates in the door, watching. Whatever they are talking about, Thor is listening intensely to Helblinde, who seems to be explaining something.

With a sigh, Loki steps away from the door. Let the dance with Thor be his last memory of the love he can never have.

**

Unfortunately, Loki has to be there when the Æsir leaves.

They are gathered where they arrived, outside the palace and ready to journey back over the Bifröst. This time, however, there are far more smiles and laughter. The Æsir and the Jötnar talk freely and exchange well wishes for the time to come.

When Loki arrives, later than he should, because he had to force himself to even come, they are all listening to something Volstagg is saying. Býleistr says something in response, making everybody laugh. It’s perfect. It’s everything Loki hoped for and he smiles despite himself. Maybe that’s why it takes him a moment to see that Thor is not among the gathered.

Loki walks up to the group and the turn to him with smiles.

Heimdallr puts a friendly hand on his shoulder. “Farewell, king of Jötunheimr. Know that you are always welcome in Asgard and will be greeted with open arms.”

“Thank you.” Loki smiles. Even if he knows that he will never visit Asgard if he can avoid it, the friendliness in the words makes him feel almost as warm as Thor’s embrace did. “And you and all of your kind are welcome here from this day. Let our peace be more than just words.”

There are smiles and nodding and even a huzzah from Fandral.

They continue with goodbyes, expressing their hopes for the future and their appreciation of the growing friendship between their two realms.

When Thor finally arrives, the others are almost done with their goodbyes. He doesn’t explain anything, doesn’t even greet his friends. He just grabs Loki’s elbow and looks him straight in the eye. “Can I talk to you? Alone?”

Loki nods and follows Thor a little away from the others. He can feel their wondering eyes in the back of his neck, so Thor’s actions must be a surprise to all of them.

“I need to… I wanted… I spoke to Helblinde yesterday after…” Thor tries, clears his throat and starts over. “What do you see?”

“What?” Loki looks back at Thor, confused. There seems to be a conversation here he is not part of.

“What do you see? When you look at me, what do you see Loki?” Thor asks again, more forcefully this time. He is still holding Loki by the elbow.

“What does it matter?” Loki says, a bit to harsh, as he pulls his arm free. “You leave tomorrow. Your home awaits. Your life.”

“What do you see?!” Thor repeats, his blue eyes holding Loki’s green.

“Nothing. I see nothing. And that’s all I’ll ever see.” Loki says, feeling the ice spread into his chest. Ice hearted indeed. Thor look confused, surprised and maybe a little wounded. It’s petty and wrong, but Loki has been hurting since he woke from the Ice Fever and he takes a guilty pleasure in making Thor suffer as well.

Without waiting for a reply, Loki turns and walks back to the others. Thor follows after a moment but his blue eyes never return to Loki.


	6. Never Again

After the Æsir leave, things return to normal. For most of the Jötnar. To avoid feeling the loss of what could have been, Loki throws himself into work again, for the first time avoiding both his people and his friends. He hides in his study, doing whatever he can to forget. He does more work than ever before and only comes out when hunger absolutely forces him to move. It doesn’t take long before Helblinde and Býleistr start to worry, but even his brothers can’t make Loki return to the world.

That doesn’t keep them from trying.

**

“My King, you must eat something…”

**

“My King, you need rest…”

**

“Will you not come out, my King? Your people miss you…”

**

“My King, are you well? My King? Loki!?”

**

It’s dark and disjointed. Sometimes there are voices, but the words never enter Loki’s troubled sleep long enough to make sense.

The darkness is easier, so he stays there. He wants to stay. There is no pain in the darkness, no loneliness or abandonment. It’s just dark and numb.

**

In his dreams, Thor is there, warm and strong and golden. His smile is kind and his arms are gentle around Loki.

“I like this dream…” Loki mumbles quietly, his voice hoarse and his words slurring together. Thor is still smiling at him, so he doesn’t mind. There is nothing else. Nothing in the world but the two of them. “I don’t want to wake again…”

“Shhh…” Thor gently runs a hand over Loki’s hair. “Rest now. I will be here.”

“Promise?”

“I promise my friend. Sleep.”

**

For a long time, there is darkness again, but it doesn’t feel as numb as before. It feels like someone is there with him. Someone he needs to be there.

**

There are voices when he finally wakes up again. Familiar voices.

“ – don’t think he’s had a full nights sleep since you left. Thank the Norns he didn’t get sick again.”

“I never meant to hurt him. I never wanted…”

“I know… And I think he knows that too. But he was scared. He has resigned himself to never meet anyone and then you show up… And then you left…”

“I didn’t want to leave. But I had to… I had to talk to… I came back.”

“Just in time too.” It’s Helblinde’s voice. His brother. His brother, who was worried about him because he kept working and not sleeping. And the other voice is…

“Thor…?”

“I’m here.” The voice is immediately close and there is a large hand on his shoulder. Loki opens his eyes slowly to see Thor’s blue look back at him worriedly.

“But… Why…?” Loki asks slowly. He can quite understand what is happening just yet. His mind doesn’t seem to have woken up when the rest of him did.

“I… I had to come back…” Thor says gently. “I had to see you again…”

“Me?” Loki blinks a few times, willing his mind to catch up with the conversation. Thor is smiling softly at him.

“I never wanted to leave Loki. But I had to. I had to go home and talk to my father. I wanted to tell you I was coming back, but then you… You stopped talking to me and I… I thought I crossed a line when I held you during your Ice Fever and you were mad at me…” Thor explains.

Loki slowly works himself into a sitting position, but he still isn’t sure his mind is awake enough to understand what is happening. Somewhere close by, a door opens and closes. “But you… Sif?”

“Sif is… Sif is a very close friend. Our engagement was logical. It would strengthen the alliance between the royal house and the Valkyries. We already knew we could fight together, so we figured it wouldn’t be hard for us to live together. I was a prince, so it was expected of me that my marriage would be a political engagement. Getting to marry my friend seemed like the best option.” Thor says, looking at his hands instead of Loki.

“Oh…” Loki looks away too. He isn’t sure what Thor is trying to say, even if his traitorous heart is trying to fill him with unfounded hope.

“Were you mad at me?” Thor asks, putting his large hand on Loki’s slender one.

“No…” Loki turns his hand and grabs Thor’s without thinking. “No, I… I wasn’t mad… I was… I just couldn’t…”

“You don’t see anything when you look at me.” Thor says quietly and Loki looks up immediately, suddenly scared and cold. He is clutching Thor’s hand, convinced it will be torn from him and he will lose his last chance at being near Thor. Nothing ever scared him as much as that.

“I… I didn’t mean… I’m…” Loki tries, stumbling over the words. He wants to explain, to make Thor understand, but he has no idea where to begin or even what to say.

“I know…” Thor doesn’t pull his hand away. Instead, he places his other hand on Loki’s cheek and Loki can’t stop himself from leaning into the warm touch. “Helblinde told me… I didn’t know you… I had no idea curses like that existed… That you had to… It must have been horrible…”

Loki still doesn’t know what to say, so he just soaks up the warmth and comfort from touching Thor for a moment. Thor is smiling at him, that warm, fond smile that have appeared so often in Loki’s dream.

“I liked it…” Loki says after a little while. Thor raises an eyebrow in question and Loki nuzzles into his hand for a moment before answering. “When you held me… It was… Warm… I… I felt safe…”

Thor’s smile widens and he moves over to the bed next to Loki, putting an arm around his shoulders. Loki curls into his side, sighing softly. It feels so right to be here, in Thor’s arms. Safe and warm and right. Thor just pulls him a little closer.

Loki has no idea how long he sits like that, just enjoying being close to Thor, listening to his breathing and heartbeat. Thor seems content to just hold Loki and let time pass.

“I always see the ending… The heartbreak, the sorrow, the loneliness that follows… Every time I met someone new, every person who just walked by me… I would see how our relationship would end, how painful it would be…” Loki says. He’s not quite sure why he is telling Thor all this, normally he doesn’t talk to anyone but Helblinde about this. “Even with the other Æsir, I saw it… Ending after ending after ending… And I would always end up alone… But you… With you I saw nothing and I didn’t… I didn’t know what to do… So I tried to keep my distance, but every time I was close to you I only wanted more… And then when I got sick you were there, warm and strong and I… I couldn’t help myself…”

He pauses, waiting for Thor to interrupt him, to push him away or tell him to stop, but Thor just waits for him to continue. Loki takes a deep breath.

“I though maybe, if I stayed away from you, if I kept my distance, it would be easier when you left… That it wouldn’t hurt me as much to be alone again… But it didn’t… It didn’t work… And then… When we were dancing… When you held me… I never wanted it to end…” Loki whispers. He hides his face in Thor’s neck, not wanting to see his reaction to Loki’s confession. Most of him still thinks that Thor will leave any second.

“I didn’t want to let go of you…” Thor says softly, his warm breath making Loki’s hair sway gently. “You felt… You feel so right in my arms…”

“I didn’t mean to fall in love with you…” Loki says quietly. For a moment he almost hopes that Thor didn’t hear him, that his voice was muffled by Thor’s neck. But then Thor leans down just a fraction and place a gentle kiss on Loki’s hair. “I’m glad you did. I would hate to come back here and find that I was the only one.”

When Loki looks up at Thor, he is smiling so wide it hurts his face. Thor remedies that by leaning down and kissing Loki.

**

They would probably have stayed like that for the rest of the day if Helblinde hadn’t come back with a large plate of food and demanded that Loki eat something. Somehow it was a lot easier to eat sitting in Thor’s arms and listening to the Asgardian prince talk about what happened when he returned to Asgard.

“And after going through the treaty with my father and explaining everything that he didn’t immediately like, he agreed that it was a very good agreement. So it was celebrated with a feast lasting for several days. I was very impatient, but I also knew that talking about something important while the celebration was still happening would not sit well with my father, so I had to wait.” Thor pauses for a second to take a drink of water from the glass that Helblinde holds out to him.

“When the celebrations were over and I finally had some time alone with my parents, I explained to them that I wanted to come back here and talk to you. And I told them… I told them that I didn’t think I would be able to marry Sif… My father was very angry for a long time. I know my mother talked to him. And Heimdallr. And Sif, after I told her too. So, when my father finally was ready to listen to me, I explained that…”

Loki looks up from his food when Thor hesitates and looks away, like he is ashamed and doesn’t want to continue. Loki gives his hand a gentle squeeze and Thor smiles at him again.

“I wanted to explain to him how I felt, but my father was never one to listen too much to feelings, so I explained how it would be a political benefit, how it would strengthen the alliance between our realms and how it would benefit the friendship between our races. It took a lot of convincing, but he finally understood.” Thor said, smiling carefully at Loki.

“I…” Loki licks his lips, not daring to hope. “What… What do you meant with ‘it’?”

“This…” Thor says, gently taking Loki’s hand. “Us… Courting… If… If you… If you would be open to that…”

Loki smiles, leaning a little closer to Thor. “I would be very open to that…”

They kiss until Helblinde clears his throat, reminding them both that they are not alone. Loki blushes a little, embarrassed that his brother is still there, but he can’t stop smiling.

“Finish eating, then I’ll leave and you can go back to being adorably, annoyingly in love.” Helblinde says with a patient smile and Loki is incredibly grateful to his brother. To show his appreciation, he quickly eats the rest of the food and Helblinde leaves with the promise to tell the others that Loki is awake and well, but not to be disturbed.

When they are alone, Loki turns towards Thor again. He puts a hand on the broad chest and smiles into the blue eyes. Thor pulls Loki closer and kisses him until Loki forgets there exist anything but the two of them.

**

They don’t leave the room for three days and for once Loki doesn’t miss sleep because of work.


	7. Curse Breaker

Being king doesn’t get easier with traveling between Asgard and Jötunheimr almost every week, but having Thor makes it much easier to get enough sleep. It’s very hard to say no when Thor steps up to him and puts his arms around Loki, kisses his neck and asks him to come to bed. Thor, who is still a prince and doesn’t have quite as much responsibility as Loki, is a great help with handling the realm, especially since he knows that the less work Loki has to do, the more time Loki has to spend with Thor.

**

They are walking in the garden when it happens. Almost the same places as where Loki told Amora they weren’t a good fit so long ago. Loki doesn’t realize that though. He has all but forgotten about it and about the curse. It doesn’t really matter anymore.

Thor is holding his hand, talking about the different between the stars in Asgard and the stars in Jötunheimr. Thor loves everything that has to do with the sky, especially when the weather gets rough and the wild. Loki is just listening to him, smiling and happy.

Thor stops in the middle of a sentence and looks at Loki with a quizzical look. “What?”

“I love you…” Loki says, not thinking. It takes a moment before his brain catches up with his mouth. When he comprehends what he says, he freezes. He knows Thor is in love with him, but there is a big difference between being in love with someone and loving them. Being in love is fleeting, diffuse, beautiful but unstable. Love is permanent, eternal and a very strong emotion. Loki is terrified it’s too much, too soon.

But it’s not. Thor just smiles at him.

“I love you Loki.”

Green.

Everything is green.

The green light hits him like a winter storm. His eyes burn. All around him is green, inside his eyes, in his mind. Everything is burning green. The green is all he can see, even with his hands covering his eyes. Even with his eyes closed.

“Loki? My love?”

It takes a moment to place the voice. It’s Thor. Thor, talking to him. Calling him ‘my love’.

The pain disappears with the green light and Loki opens his eyes. He doesn’t feel different anymore, but he knows. He knows.

“It’s gone…”

“What’s gone?” Thor asks, clearly worried.

“The curse… It’s… It’s gone… You broke it…” Loki smiles. There are tears in his eyes, but he doesn’t know if it’s from the pain or from happiness. It doesn’t matter much when Thor moves closer, gathers Loki in his arms and kisses him until Loki forgets that there ever was anything but this.

The curse is gone. He’s finally free.

**

There is no ending. Instead, there is a wedding.

It’s been five years since the curse was broken and Loki has never been happier. It’s not always perfect, they fight and disagree like any other couple, but in the end they always make up and go back to being happy. It’s so much more than Loki ever dared to hope for.

The peace between Asgard and Jötunheimr is strong and most of the other realms have reached out to make their own peace treaties. It’s an era of peace like never before.

The wedding is the biggest event of both realms. Because Loki is a king and Thor still a prince it happens in Jötunheimr. Never before have so many Æsir come to the could world of the Jötnat.

“Just think… A few years ago, all this seemed impossible…”

Loki looks up from straightening his clothes and out to the balcony where Helblinde is standing, watching over the gardens where the last of the preparations for the wedding is being made. Loki walks out to him. Down below them, Æsir and Jötnar are creating decorations that have never been in either realm before, a mixture of the icy crystals of Jötunheimr and the warm gold of Asgard. It’s beautiful and new. Like so many things in the last five years.

“It took a lot of work getting here.” Loki says with a small smile. Helblinde turns to look at him. “It took you to get here. You are the reason for the peace. You and Thor.”

Loki looks down, smiling. He has learned not to disagree when someone gives him credit for the peace, even if he still feels he didn’t do much. But Thor? Thor he will give all the credit in the world.

“I’m glad I get to see you happy.” Helblinde continues after a moment. Loki looks at his brother and smiles. “I’m glad I’m happy too.”

Laughing, Helblinde puts an arm around Loki’s shoulders. “Ready to become someone’s husband?”

“More than ready!” Loki’s smile only widens. Býleistr holds the door open for them and Loki goes to meet his beloved, ready to create another thing that has never been seen before in either realm.

A marriage between a Jötnar king and an Æsir prince.


End file.
